Yue Qiong dispatched three urgent military reports that day, taking seven days to reach the capital. It was now late April, and the news of the barbarian invasion of Cang Prefecture completely shattered the capital’s peace. In Chong Zheng Hall, the Emperor urgently called ministers for discussion, and upon hearing the news, everyone’s minds were thrown into chaos.
Minister of War Ge Yang said, “Your Majesty, now that the barbarians have entered Cang Prefecture with tremendous force, although we don’t yet know how they received this intelligence or how they gathered such a large army, Cang Prefecture has fallen. Next, I fear they will target all the northern prefectures. In my humble opinion, we should immediately send reinforcements. The army previously prepared for the western campaign is currently stationed north of Luo Prefecture. If we dispatch them immediately, they could arrive in ten days or so. I believe Marquis An Yang can still hold out until then.”
Duke Wei Peng Huai Chu also said, “Your Majesty, decades ago, Cang Prefecture fell once before, but this time might be even more serious. The barbarians haven’t been able to cross Mount Cang Long for many years. Now that they’ve crossed it, their ambitions must be boundless. The court must send reinforcements quickly.”
As he spoke, other ministers chimed in with agreement. Yan Han, seated on the high throne, frowned in deep thought and remained silent for a moment.
Then, others came forward to offer advice, and after everyone had spoken, they all shared the same opinion: they must send troops to stop the barbarians in the north and prevent them from advancing south.
After listening, Yan Han said, “If that’s the case, Ge Yang will be responsible for troop deployment. All divisions of the Ministry of War shall cooperate to quickly prepare soldiers, horses, and military supplies, and advance north as soon as possible to provide support.”
Hearing Yan Han’s words, everyone felt somewhat relieved. The Ministry of Revenue and Ministry of War immediately became busy. After the court was dismissed, Yan Han summoned Lin Zhang and Ge Yang to the Imperial Study.
In the Imperial Study, Yan Han said, “This time, I plan to make Commander Lin your deputy. What do you think?”
Lin Zhang was slightly surprised. “Your Majesty, who will manage the Imperial Guard if I leave?”
Yan Han replied, “Zhao Yu will temporarily take command. You can lead troops north with Ge Yang.”
Ge Yang naturally had no objections upon hearing this, but he felt somewhat suspicious inside. Could it be that Yan Han didn’t trust him, and that’s why he sent Lin Zhang along?
After all, Imperial Guard Commander Lin Zhang was Yan Han’s most trusted person.
Thinking this, Ge Yang inwardly sighed but dared not show any unusual expression on his face.
Lin Zhang had no objections to Zhao Yu temporarily commanding the Imperial Guard and agreed. Yan Han gave some additional instructions to Ge Yang before letting him go attend to matters, keeping only Lin Zhang behind. After Ge Yang left, Lin Zhang asked, “Why does Your Majesty want me to accompany him?”
Yan Han narrowed his eyes and said, “Now that news from the north has reached our ears, do you think Yan Chi would know about this?”
Lin Zhang’s pupils moved slightly. “He… should know.”
Yan Han narrowed his eyes further and said, “With Cang Prefecture fallen, next will be Wu Prefecture, Feng Prefecture, and Chong Prefecture. Although Feng Prefecture is closest to Cang Prefecture, Yue Qiong is guarding it now and can certainly hold out for many days. The barbarians are fierce but lack strategy; they probably won’t engage in a prolonged battle with Yue Qiong. Thus, they will naturally choose Wu and Chong Prefectures. Chong Prefecture has the Northern Administrative Army, and if the barbarians reach there, the Northern Administrative Army won’t surrender without a fight. Only Wu Prefecture is an empty shell now, and the barbarians certainly won’t pass up this opportunity.”
Lin Zhang’s eyes lit up with understanding. “South of Wu Prefecture is Meng Prefecture. Your Majesty means to say…”
Yan Han nodded. “If Meng Prefecture falls, it will be Shuo Xi next. Someone like Yan Chi, like the Prince Rui, won’t sit idly by. He will most likely send troops to Meng Prefecture.”
Lin Zhang’s eyes showed surprise. “So Your Majesty wants me to focus on Shuo Xi?”
Yan Han nodded. “Now that the barbarians have entered Da Zhou, the situation has become more chaotic, but new opportunities have also emerged from this chaos. I want you to follow Ge Yang and await my news. Ge Yang is too upright; even if I send orders, he might hesitate. With you there, I can be at ease.”
Lin Zhang wanted to speak but held back. Yan Han said, “Don’t you want to save your nephew?”
Lin Xie and Lin Xu Gui were both still in Yan Chi’s hands, and Lin Xie was Lin Zhang’s nephew.
Hearing this, Lin Zhang clasped his hands and bowed. “Very well, I will follow Your Majesty’s instructions.”
While the court was quickly arranging reinforcements, news spread throughout the capital. In Marquis An Yang’s mansion, which was decorated with lanterns and festive decorations, Yue Jia and the Grand Princess discussed the matter in the main hall.
Yue Jia said, “With such a sudden change in circumstances, and Father having no extra men to spare, Grandmother, perhaps I should request permission tomorrow to go north and join Father.”
The Grand Princess hesitated upon hearing this. “This… although it’s good, your father has already gone north. If you leave, who will manage our household affairs? Moreover, your sister’s wedding is the day after tomorrow. How can you leave at such a time? If you must go, it should be after the wedding.”
The Grand Princess sighed, and Lady Jiang nodded in agreement beside her. Hearing this, Yue Jia said no more.
Yue Ning was about to have her grand wedding. Yue Qiong’s absence was already a great regret, and if her eldest brother left now too, with only Yue Qing remaining, he alone wouldn’t be able to handle all the male guests at the grand feast. Yue Jia sighed, “Yes, Grandmother’s words are reasonable. Then we’ll discuss it after my sister’s wedding.”
As they spoke, the Grand Princess looked at Yue Jia and said, “Your sister’s wedding has come before yours. Now we should also consider arrangements for you.”
Hearing this, Yue Jia showed no objection, as he was of age and naturally needed to think about taking a wife. Lady Jiang smiled and said, “Mother, speaking of this, I have something to tell you. The other day when I visited the Marquis Wu An’s mansion, I met Duke Wei’s wife. Do you remember their daughter Jin’er?”
The Grand Princess naturally remembered Duke Wei’s daughter. “How could I forget? She’s a forthright young lady. What about her? Is she interested in our Jia’er?”
Lady Jiang nodded but frowned and said, “However, there’s one complication. Jin’er previously had an understanding with the Qin family’s heir. Their parents had even discussed it, and it was verbally agreed upon. But then the Qin family had their troubles, which delayed matters. Although the Qin family isn’t considered a criminal family now, they’ve become commoners and have faded from capital society. Naturally, that marriage can’t proceed, so when they learned Jia’er had returned, they set their sights on him.”
The Grand Princess frowned. “Jin’er is indeed good, but she was previously promised to the Qin family, and now they’ve turned to us… If it weren’t for Wan girl, it might be fine, but we’re considered relatives of the Qin family. This wouldn’t look good. No, this marriage cannot proceed.”
Hearing this, Lady Jiang smiled and said, “I thought the same, so I didn’t respond to Duke Wei’s wife that day. However, the Senior Lady of Marquis Wu An, knowing I was worried about Jia’er’s marriage, mentioned her grand-niece to me, from the Su family of Luo Prefecture.”
The Grand Princess raised her eyebrows. “Is this the Su family of Luo Prefecture known for their five Imperial Scholars?”
Lady Jiang smiled, “Indeed. The Su family and the Empress Dowager’s maternal clan, the Mu family, are both premier aristocratic families in Luo Prefecture. One of Marquis Wu An’s wife’s nieces married into the Su family, and this girl is that niece’s daughter. She’s fifteen now, a renowned talented young lady of Luo Prefecture, with both excellent appearance and temperament.”
The Grand Princess smiled, “This sounds quite promising. You should visit the Marquis Wu An’s mansion another day to discuss this matter and perhaps meet the young lady. Jia’er’s personality is somewhat proper and reserved; he needs someone with a good temperament for harmony.”
Yue Jia listened quietly beside them, though his mind was on the northern warfare. After discussing Yue Jia’s matter, Lady Jiang grew worried about Yue Ning, “These past few days, Ning’er has been confining herself to her courtyard, almost as if she’s ill. I don’t know what’s wrong with her. I’ve asked several times, but she won’t say. When I called for a physician, she refused to see them.”
At this, both the Grand Princess and Yue Jia’s expressions grew serious. Yue Ning’s unusual behavior hadn’t just been noticed by Lady Jiang; everyone had sensed something was amiss. However, Yue Ning had never been outgoing, and she had no close friends among the capital’s young ladies. Consequently, no one knew what she was thinking.
The Grand Princess looked at the festive lanterns hanging outside and sighed, “I don’t know why, but I feel Ning’er is unhappy about this marriage. I fear… something will go wrong.”
Lady Jiang and Yue Jia exchanged glances, both looking bewildered.
At the same time, Yue Ning’s servant was repeating to her what had been said at the Grand Princess’s quarters.
Yue Ning listened and asked, “Really? Cang Prefecture was massacred?!”
The servant said, “Yes. Of Cang Prefecture’s hundreds of thousands of people, barely a thousand escaped. The Marquis won’t be able to return from the north anytime soon, and the court is sending more troops. The Young Master also said that after your wedding, he’ll head north to find the Marquis.”
Yue Ning’s expression grew dejected. She remained silent for a while before turning to look at the gloomy sky outside.
Seeing Yue Ning’s expression, the servant dared not say more, but her close maid Lu Qi said, “Princess, what’s wrong? These past few days, both the Lady and the Senior Lady have been very worried. The day after tomorrow is your wedding day, yet you show no enthusiasm. Why not go see Young Master Yan Ze?”
After meeting Yan Ze more than ten days ago, Yue Ning had stayed at home dutifully awaiting marriage. Although the families were related, Da Zhou’s custom forbade unmarried men and women from meeting before marriage, so Yan Ze didn’t visit again. Thus, they hadn’t seen each other since.
Hearing this, Yue Ning stood up somewhat absent-mindedly and walked to the door. Looking up at the sky filled with dark clouds that matched her current mood, she fell into a trance before suddenly asking, “Did Big Brother say earlier that he wanted to head north immediately?”
“Yes, but the Grand Princess was worried about the Young Master encountering danger up north, and felt that with your wedding approaching, people shouldn’t be leaving.”
Yue Ning nodded and glanced at the newly decorated courtyard before suddenly saying, “With the nation in crisis, what does a wedding matter?”
Lu Qi hadn’t heard clearly. “Princess, what did you say?”
Yue Ning shook her head and simply instructed, “Bring out my Cheng Ying sword, and pack my usual clothes.”
Lu Qi smiled, “Everything’s already prepared to take with you.”
Yue Ning remained silent, standing alone at the doorway for a long while.
Early the next morning, Lu Qi came to the main chamber but found the door tightly closed. Yue Ning hadn’t risen yet. Since turning fifteen, Yue Ning hadn’t allowed maids to keep night watch, so Lu Qi had only instructed a young maid to wait outside to help with morning preparations when Yue Ning woke. Lu Qi went to the kitchen to fetch breakfast, and when she returned after about an hour, the door was still closed. The young maid said Yue Ning still hadn’t risen.
Lu Qi looked at the time of day and frowned. “Usually, the Princess would be up by now. Could she be ill?”
After saying this, Lu Qi went to knock on the door, but there was no response. Now alarmed, she pushed the door, which opened easily. Lu Qi called out “Princess” several times and hurried to the inner chamber, only to find the bed neat, showing no signs of having been slept in. Lu Qi began to panic, “Princess?! Princess, where are you?!”
While calling out, she went to the warm room and found no trace of Yue Ning, only a letter on the table!
Lu Qi looked and saw it was addressed “To Grandmother.” Her expression changed, and she quickly took the letter to the Grand Princess!
When she reached the Grand Princess and explained the situation, the Grand Princess immediately opened the letter. After reading just a few words, her expression changed. Gradually, her face grew more and more troubled until she finally collapsed onto the low couch. Just then, Lady Jiang, Yue Jia, and others received the news and rushed over, all asking what had happened. The Grand Princess handed the letter to Lady Jiang and said with a bitter smile, “Ning’er has left. She says to let Jia’er hurry north to provide support, and that she… she’s gone to find Wan girl!”
Lady Jiang and Yue Jia each read the letter, their expressions darkening. Lady Jiang angrily said, “This is truly reckless, leaving without a word! Jia’er, can we still catch up if we pursue now? She’s gone out alone—what if something happens to her!”
Yue Jia said, “I’m afraid it’s too late. You know sister’s personality.”
The Grand Princess heaved a long sigh, “Never mind, never mind. No wonder she’s been acting strange these days. She must have had some untold difficulties in her heart. Since this is the case, how can we force her to marry?! At this point, let’s send some people west to look for her. If they catch up, they needn’t bring her back—just ensure her safety. As for us, we need to figure out how to handle tomorrow’s situation.”
Lady Jiang was both angry and worried about Yue Ning. “What do we do now? This marriage was decreed by imperial edict… Fortunately, because of last year’s events, we didn’t invite too many people. Now we can only explain to each family individually. The key is how to explain this to Ze’er. How could Ning’er, just a young girl, dare to go west alone?!”
Lady Jiang paced anxiously and questioned Lu Qi, who recounted Yue Ning’s instructions from the previous day. Everyone realized she had planned this. Seeing the situation, the Grand Princess could only say, “Come with me, let’s pay a visit to Prince Yi’s mansion. I’ll have to put aside my pride and sort this out for her!”
Lady Jiang felt remorseful, “It’s my fault for not supervising her properly, causing Mother to worry about such matters.”
The Grand Princess shook her head, “More than this matter, I want to know what exactly caused such a dramatic change in Ning’er that she would even refuse marriage!”